Watch.



No. 857,667. PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907'. w. E. PORTER. WATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 1906 'rn: NORRIS PETERS co., wnsnmcmu, n. c

the claims.

UNITED OFFICE.

WILSON EL PORTER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO NEW HAVEN CLOCK00., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

WATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed June 8,1906. Serial No. 320,707.

T at whont it'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILsoN E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Watches; andI do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to bea full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and rep resent, in

Figure 1 an enlarged broken sectional view of a watch-movementconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 a detached view ofthe center shaft thereof. Fig. 3 a view corresponding to Fig. 1, showinga modified form of my improvement. Fig. 4 a detached view of thecenter-shaft thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in Watches, the object being toprovide them with improved center frictions constructed with particularreference to economy of space, accuracy and efficiency of performance,and superior convenience.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a watch having certaindetails of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in In carrying out my invention as hereinshown, I employ a center-shaft 2 having its rear end formed with alongitudinal slit 3 forming, as it were, two spring-fingers 4 which arevery slightly spread apart so that when sprung together they will securea friction-hold upona center-pinion5 having a longitudinal bore 6through which the shaft is introduced from front to rear. The forwardend of this pinion has a front bearing 7 entering a bearing-hole 8 inthe front movement-plate 9, while its rear end has a rear bearing 10entering a bearing-hole 11 in the rear movement-plate 12. Thecenter-Wheel 13 lies directly back of the front movementplate 9 and isstaked upon a. shoulder 5 formed on the pinion 5 contiguous to its frontbearing 7 aforesaid.

The cannon-pinion 14 is drivenin the usual manner upon the projectingfront end of the shaft 2 and bears against the projecting front end ofthe front bearing 7. It will be particularly observed that in myimproved construction the center-pinion 5 bears directly in the frontand rear movement-plates rather than the center-shaft which has a longbearing in the center-pinion but no direct bearing in themovement-plates The center-pinion 5 with the center-wheel 13 in placeupon it is first mounted in the movement-plates. Then the center-shaft 2with the canon-pinion rigidly mounted upon it is forced from front torear through the bore 6 of the center-pinion 5. N OW if it is desired atany time to remove the center shaft, that can be done by simply pullingit out without taking the watch apart which is ordinarily necessary. Tothus remove the center-shaft Without pulling the Watch apart isoftentimes a matter of great convenience and effects a great saving oftime. I

By my improved construction I secure an economy of space as I am notobliged to provide the room required for the collet and springordinarily employed to secure a friction coupling between thecenter-shaft and the center-pinion, this being the ordinary constructionof cheap watches for which my invention is particularly designed. I alsosecure superior accuracy of performance, and therefore el'liciencybecause the bearings are formed directly on the ends of the centerpinionand are relatively near together and do not depend upon the position ofthe shaft in the pinion. As the pinion itself bears in the plates ratherthan the shaft, the running of the center-wheel is made very true. 7

In the modified construction shown by Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, therear end of the center-shaft 15 is formed with a head 16 and a slot 17.This construction is in no wise different from the construction alreadydescribed eXcept in the single particular that the rear end of thecenter-shaft is formed with the head 16 which. must be slightly smallerin diameter than the rear bearing 18 of the center-pinion 19 so that ifdesired the rear movement-plate 20 may he slipped off over the head 16.In this modified construction the center-shaft must be introduced fromrear to front and the cannon-pinion 21 staked onto it after it has beenpositioned rather than before as in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2.This modified construction has the advantages claimed for theconstruction above referred to, particularly in front and rearinovement-plates thereof, of a that the bearings are transferred fromthe shaft itself to the pinion.

My improved. construction enables a watch to be made very thin, inasmuchas economy in the length of the center-sh aft is secured by discardingthe collet and spring ordinarily employed for frictionally coupling thecenter shaft and the pinion.

I claim 1. In a watch, the combination with the front and rearmovement-plates thereof, of a hollow center-pinion having its endsbearing directly in the said plates and having a central longitudinalpassage, a center-wheel fixed upon the said pinion, a'center-shaftpassing through the said pinion and. at its rear end terminating in twospring fingers, and a cannon-pinion driven upon the projecting forwardend of the said shaft, the said spring-lingers friction ally couplingthe centershaft with the center pinion by which the shaft is rotated.

2. In a watch, the combination with the l 1 l l l l l l hollowcenterpinion having its ends bearing directly in the said plates andformed with a central longitudinal passage, a center-wheel fixed uponthe said pinion, a center-shaft passing from front to rear through thesaid center-pinion and at its rear end terminating in two spring-fingersenlarged at their ends to form a head not larger in (.liameter than thesaid rear-bearing of the said center pinion, and a cannon-pinion drivenupon the projecting forward end of the said shaft, the said lingersfrictionally coupling the centershaft with the center-pinion by whichthe shaft is rotated and permitting it to be removed from the hollowcenter pinion by drawing it from rear to front.

in testii'nony whereof, I have signed tl is specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

NILSON E. l( )l-.'lll{. VVitn esses:

CLARA L. WEED, GEORGE D. SEYMOUR.

